Solving Test Automation Management Issues with Patterns

Solving Test Automation Management Issues with Patterns

In the last couple of years we have been busy introducing the idea of patterns to the test automation community. Test Automation Patterns cover the whole spectrum of test automation from the issues that come along with immature processes to management issues to design and execution issues. We have collected them in the Test Automation Patterns Wiki. In numerous tutorials we have endeavoured to introduce the Wiki as a tool that testers and automators can use to start or improve their automation effort. In this tutorial we want to analyse in depth only the management issues and the patterns to solve them. Management issues are often the reason for automation stagnation or even death, because mostly people starting automation are more interested in the technical issues, like tools, architecture or execution and forget for instance that without management support they will meet a lot of unexpected problems on the long run. We will confront common issues like UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS, NO PREVIOUS TEST AUTOMATION or KEEP AUTOMATION UP AND RUNNING and, using the Test Automation Patterns Wiki, we will explore in depth the patterns that help solve them. At the end of the tutorial participants will also have learned how to navigate efficiently through the Wiki and will be able to confront other kinds of test automation issues We expect a lively discussion especially of the management issues currently afflicting tutorial participants. Our exercises and case studies will have to be solved using the Test Automation Patterns Wiki, so please don’t forget to bring laptops, tablets or similar web-enabled devices to the tutorial.